Political Science

The courses listed below are for the Academic Catalog and are subject to change. Please reference the Academic Catalog for further information and course descriptions. If you are a current student, please reference the catalog in which you come under.

Political Science Core Courses 15 credit hours

American Government

PSC 201

All of us are affected every day by what the federal government does. As an American citizen, you need to know how it is organized and how it works. In this course, you will learn about the history, constitutional basis, structure, and processes of American government. You will learn about the effects that the media, interest groups, political parties, and public opinion have on the government. You will also begin to learn how to analyze particular types of policies (such as foreign policy, environmental policy, and economic policy) in a systematic way. If you decide to major in political science (PSC), this course is the pre-requisite for all other PSC courses. In any event, you will leave the course as a better-informed citizen, with a solid foundation for future studies in politics, policy, business, and law.

State and Local Government

PSC 202

Americans tend to be more familiar with the federal government than with state and local governments, although these latter governments affect most of us more directly on a daily basis. As a companion course to PSC 201 (American Government), this course will help you understand the different types of local and state government institutions, how these institutions interact with the federal government, how laws that affect you on a daily basis are passed, and how you, as an average citizen, can influence local and state Government through advocacy, interacting with local and state officials, and voting. At the end of this course, which is required of all PSC majors, you will have a more thorough understanding of municipal, county, and state government, including how the court system works at all of these levels. You may even be inspired to run for local or state office after taking the course!

Political Economy for Public Policy

PSC 260

Think of any area of public policy (such as crime, foreign policy, social security, or health care), and you will notice that both politics and economics would be involved in discussing what is being done (or what should be done) in that policy area. In this course, you will learn how economics applies to making decisions about public policy. You will also learn how to use basic economic analysis to evaluate policy choices, and you will see how politics may affect the choices you might make. You can take this course even if you have not previously had an economics course. Even if you do not major in PSC, this course would be particularly valuable to persons working in government and business.

Introduction to Law and the Legal System

PSC 270

The judiciary is one of the three branches of our constitutional system. How it and the underlying legal system operate is important to all of us. In this course, you will get an overview of American law and the American legal system. You will learn what the law is, what it does, where it is found, and how it impacts individuals and society. You will also learn about many specific legal topics, such as contracts, torts, and the criminal law. If your future plans include law school, this course is highly recommended. Even if you do not major in PSC or do not plan a career in law, you will find the course helpful in everyday life and as background for careers in business and government.

Introduction to Public Policy

PSC 280

Public policy is what government decides to do or not to do about perceived public problems. Because we read newspapers, watch television, listen to radio, and surf the internet, we are all aware of some of the problems on the agenda from time to time. A partial list might include capital punishment, abortion, terrorism, taxes, and the economy. Who decides what policy is? How is policy made? In this course, you will examine the policy process and deal with selected areas of domestic policy. In doing so, your point of view will be that of the observer or the person having a stake in the policy decisions made, not of the policy analyst. You will engage in informal debates, as part of a task force, about specific policy issues. Even if you do not major in PSC, this course would benefit you if you plan a career in business or government.

Political Science Electives (choose two) 6 credit hours

Campaigns and Elections

PSC 305

Have you ever thought about running for political office or about working on a political campaign? Or have you ever just wondered how some people get elected and others do not. This course will help you understand electoral politics from an ÒinsiderÕs perspective.Ó You will learn and practice all of the skills used by candidates and campaign consultants in running and participating in successful campaigns. You will learn how to conduct research on electoral districts and past race, create a campaign plan, construct effective messagesÐadvertisements, speeches, and web pagesÐused in campaigns, and how the media play such an important role in political campaigns. Even if you never run for office, you will leave this course with a better understanding of how political campaigns work.

Political Leadership

PSC 311

What does it take to be an effective political leader? How can you become a political leaderÑat the local, state, or even national level? This course examines theories of effective political leadership. It also helps students develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for contemporary political leaders. Even if you do not see yourself ever seeking appointed or elected office, taking this course will help you better understand the challenges and opportunities that political leaders face. POLITICAL

American Constitutional Law

PSC 370

The U.S. Constitution is the very foundation of our government. The way in which this document is interpreted determines, to a large degree, what the relationship between the government and the governed will be. In this course, you will learn about the Constitution and about the major cases the Supreme Court has decided in interpreting Constitutional provisions. You will learn about the various theories concerning how the Constitution should be interpreted. You will also learn about the powers of national and state governments; about the powers of the various branches of the federal government, and about how the Constitution protects the rights and liberties of individual citizens and organizations. In class, you will play the role of Constitutional lawyers representing one side of a case actually before the Supreme Court during the term. Then later, you will play the role of a Supreme Court Justice having to decide that same case. This course will be very valuable to anyone who plans to attend law school.

The Raleigh Experience (choose three courses) 15 credit hours

Practicum in Advocacy/Lobbying

PSC 410

As a student in this course you will learn about the role of advocacy and lobbying in the American governmental system. In addition, you will understand the laws and ethics of lobbying and how advocacy organizations and lobbyists shape policy. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the agency in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write an investigative report called a "white paper"" in which you describe in detail what you have learned about advocacy and lobbying. This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in class learning with practical experience

Practicum in Law

PSC 430

As a student in this course you will have the opportunity to experience what is like to engage in the private practice of law or to serve in the capacity of someone using legal training in an agency setting. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the firm or agency setting in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write a report in which you describe in detail what you have learned about the practice of law at the firm or the role and function of legally-trained personnel in the agency. The report will contain exhibits including a record of time spent and actions taken (in the nature of billable-time records often kept by practicing attorneys), exhibits or documents drafted or legal research memorandums or the like, as evidence of the type and quality of work performed (all redacted as required by confidentiality requirements as negotiated between the William Peace University professor and the on-site manager). This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in-class learning with practical experience, giving the subject matter real-world and real-time significance.

Practicum in Non-Profit Administration

PSC 440

As a student in this course you will learn about how non-profit organizations operate within the world of politics. You will understand the internal workings of a non-profit, including fund development, service delivery, and management. In addition, you will observe how non-profit agencies interact with government offices and policy-makers. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the agency in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write an investigative report called a "white paper"" in which you describe in detail what you have learned about the placement agency and about non-profit administration in general. This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in class learning with practical experience

Practicum in Politics

PSC 450

As a student in this course you will learn about partisan politics in North Carolina. You will discover how historical events have shaped the two-party system in North Carolina. In addition, you will learn how political campaigns really work. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the agency in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write an investigative report called a "white paper"" in which you describe in detail what you have learned about partisan politics. This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in class learning with practical experience

Practicum in Policy Research

PSC 460

As a student in this course you will be involved in conducting research into important current issues, seeking solutions that will inform those who make and execute policy at one or more levels of government. You will focus on one such issue area or policy problem in preparing a policy issue paper suitable for presentation or publication. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the organization or think tank in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write an investigative report called a "policy issue paper"" in which you describe in detail what you have learned about the policy issue and about public policy and policy analysis in general. This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in class learning with practical experience

Practicum in Public Administration

PSC 470

As a student in this course you will learn about a particular agency within one of the three levels of bureaucracy in the American governmental system; its mission; its history, structural features, and relationships to entities inside and outside its level of bureaucracy; its budget and personnel issues; its unique agency culture; any significant leaders past and present; and its outlook for the future. The exciting part of this course is that the learning will take place mainly on site. You will spend eight hours per day for four weeks immersed in the agency in which you are placed, under the supervision of an on-site director, learning about all of this first-hand. At the end of the course you will write an investigative report called a "white paper"" in which you describe in detail what you have learned about the placement agency and about public administration in general. This course provides you with an opportunity to supplement in class learning with practical experience

Senior Seminar in Political Science

PSC 480

As a student in this course, you will be concurrently enrolled in the practicums of the Raleigh Experience. Here you will integrate the knowledge and skills you have developed in the academic courses and the real-world experiences of the Raleigh Experience. You will prepare for the transition from college to a career in public service or to graduate or professional school.